New Clinic Report Details Lives of Released Guantánamo Detainees

The Report, by the International Human Rights Law Clinic and UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, Demands an Investigation of ‘War on Terror’ Policies

Detainees released from U.S. detention in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and Afghanistan live shattered lives as a result of U.S. policies in the “war on terror,” according to a new report by UC Berkeley human rights experts.

The report, “Guantánamo and Its Aftermath: U.S. Detention and Interrogation Practices and Their Impact on Detainees,” based on a two-year study, reveals in graphic detail the cumulative effect of Bush Administration policies on the lives of 62 released detainees. Many of the prisoners were sold into captivity and subjected to brutal treatment in U.S. prison camps. Once in Guantánamo, prisoners were denied access to civilian courts to challenge the legality of their detention. Almost two-thirds of the former detainees interviewed reported having psychological problems since leaving Guantánamo.

“The nightmare of Guantánamo did not end with the detainees’ release. Men never convicted of crimes or given the opportunity to clear their names are suffering from a lasting ‘Guantánamo stigma,’ and are unable to find work,” said Laurel Fletcher, director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic at UC Berkeley School of Law and co-author of the report.